Ex-NBA player bounces around at Hazleton court

SAM MATTA/Staff Photo Former St. John’s University basketball standout and NBA player Felipe Lopez visited Beech Street Playground on Saturday to promote a basketball tournament sponsored by the Dominican House of Hazleton.

Felipe Lopez was once a thriving NBA player before his career ended in 2004 with a serious knee injury.

There were always high expectations for this sensational talent, a first-ever from the Dominican Republic to play at the highest professional level.

His career blossomed on the asphalt in the heart of New York City, where legends are born and raised. Those legends include former superstars Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) and Kenny Anderson, as Lopez became one of the most highly recruited and touted stars in the country, as a 6-foot-5 guard from famed Rice High School in New York.

Lopez made many All-American lists in 1994, and that talent earned him Gatorade, USA Today and Parade’s Player of the Year.

Lopez landed in New York City when he was only 14 years of age when his father, who played amateur baseball in the Dominican Republic, and his family moved to the United States.

As his reputation grew so did the pressures.

“You look back on it and think about it, and sometimes you don’t reach the level of (success) that people feel you can attain,” Lopez said Saturday at Beech Street Playground, where he came from New York City with his business partner Steven Espaillat to help promote a basketball tournament sponsored by the Dominican House of Hazleton.

The two-day event, which was organized by community activist Victor Perez and Leo Ortiz, is a five-on-five tournament officially known as the Michael Joseph Basketball Tournament, named after the present-day Hazleton Area High School head coach.

“We have seven teams,” Perez said before Lopez’s much-anticipated arrival. “We are trying to reach out to the (Dominican) youth. We want to motivate them, get them involved in things. Hazleton (Area) coach Joseph has really tried to get involved with us. He’s a great guy and he’s coming (Sunday) to maybe teach them some things and encourage them to be a (participant).”

Lopez earned star status but the expectations were extremely lofty, especially after he appeared on the cover of Spots Illustrated before ever playing one college basketball game. He was so popular in a place that has been coined “...the city that never sleeps at night” that he made a guest appearance with Jim Brown, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and then-President Bill Clinton on a television show.

Lopez knew the bar was set very high for him.

“It can distract you,” he continued. “The (adulation) at such a young age can get to you.”

Still, that distraction didn’t set him back in his first full season of collegiate basketball at St. John’s University. Lopez, was indeed a star, averaging 17.8 points per game, he earned a spot on the All-Big East Rookie Team and was named to the third team.

He finished his college career with 1,927 points, placing him third all-time in St. John’s history behind former Johnnies’ greats Chris Mullin and Malik Sealy and sixth in Big East history with 1,222 points in conference play. He also ranks seventh all time in steals, 14th in assists, and 20th in rebounds. and he holds the St. John’s record for most three-pointers made in a single season (60) and in a career (148).

Lopez took his immense skills to the NBA, although he only played four seasons, his last with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He gave the Continental Basketball Association a try and he played in a half dozen other countries.

Lopez was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the 24th pick in the 1998 NBA Draft and was immediately traded along with Carl Herrera, to the Vancouver Grizzlies for point guard Antonio Daniels. He played 112 games for the Grizzlies before being traded to the Washington Wizards along with Dennis Scott, Cherokee Parks, and Obinna Ekezie in exchange for free agent Isaac Austin.

Lopez went on to sign as a free agent with both the Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks, although he never played a regular season game for the Mavs. He trained with the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers in the first months of the 2005-06 NBA season before signing a contract with Lleida in Spain.

He holds career NBA averages of 5.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and one assist per game.

“I’m an ambassador for the NBA,” he said Saturday. “We need to reach out to the young (Dominicans) in the community and try and bring them together to get involved in all kinds of things, not just basketball.

“These youngsters are just starting their lives, and they need a chance to better themselves. Hopefully they can get the right guidance.”

Before Lopez arrived, a number of youngsters were shooting and playing three-on-three pickup games until the real event started.

“This is exciting for me,” said Josuv Mardin, 15, who will attend the Hazleton Career Center as a freshman this fall.

He’s never played organized basketball before.

“I don’t know that much about coach (Joseph), but I want to tryout.”

The turnout wasn’t what Ortiz was hoping for, although having some players on the basketball court on a nice summer day was better than having none at all.

“I need to do a better job of promoting it next (summer),” Ortiz admitted.

His goal is to reach out to the surrounding communities.

“We will talk to other towns... like Tamaqua. We want to bring in more teams and make it a big event. That’s our goal.”

Ortiz spent a day with Joseph during the annual Cougar Basketball camp last month.

“Leo is hoping to make an impact with the tournament,” Joseph said. “A number of years ago we would run a weekend tournament and bring teams in from all over, the Poconos, some came in from District(s) 1 and 2. We might have 16 teams playing. But I think this one can grow. It’s a good thing.”

The anticipation of meeting Lopez brought a big smile to the face of rising high school junior Christian Melendez.

“I’m so excited; I can’t wait to meet him,” Melendez said.

Melendez knows all about the Cougar basketball program, and wants to give it a try when the season starts in November.

“I followed the team last year... (All-state guard) Sal Biasi was so great,” he added. “I never met Coach Joseph before, but I really want to try out for the team.”

Melendez moved to Hazleton from Puerto Rico when he was 6 years old. He loves math and wants to work for the FBI, but for now it’s all about a fun day on the basketball court.

“I don’t know if I’m capable of going to college to play,” the solid A-B student admitted. “This is very exciting to meet Felipe.’’

Ortiz played at Hazleton Area under former head coach Bruce Leib.

“I love him,” he said of Leib. “I love this game. Thistown needs a summer league. Maybe we can help promote it through this event.”

Lopez and Perez go back to their days in the Dominican Republic when the former was doing clinics.

“We go back a long ways,” Lopez said of Perez. “He’s done great work here in the city of Hazleton.

“Basketball speaks to the masses. This I think can be a great event they’re putting together here. This can bring great awareness to our people, our community. I’m here to do whatever I can do to help this event.”

“I want to inspire the (youngsters), I want them to know through perseverance and hard work they can (succeed). It’s all about dedication.”

Lopez and his partner Espaillat have formed the Felipe Lopez Foundation and another company, Iconic 32 Sports Lab with another partner Sergio Morales. It’s an inner-city enrichment platforms through sports, entertainment, education and the arts.

“We provide intensive training and academic support,” Espaillat explained. “We bring kids in to start thinking and being creative and we also provide entrepreneurial workshops.”

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